Microsoft warns about the security risks posed by default configurations in Kubernetes deployments, particularly those using out-of-the-box Helm charts, which could publicly expose sensitive data. A report published by security researchers Michael Katchinskiy and Yossi Weizman of Microsoft Defender for Cloud Research highlights three cases as examples of a broader security issue that puts Kubernetes workloads at risk. To mitigate the risks, Microsoft recommends carefully reviewing the default configuration of Helm charts to evaluate it from a security perspective, ensuring that it includes authentication and network isolation. Users inexperienced with cloud security often deploy those Helm charts as they are, unintentionally exposing services to the internet and allowing attackers to scan and exploit misconfigured applications. However, as highlighted in Microsoft's report, in many cases, the default settings in those charts lack proper security measures. The researchers highlight three cases of Helm charts that put Kubernetes environments at risk of attacks, summarized as follows. Helm is a package manager for Kubernetes, and charts are templates/blueprints for deploying apps on the platform, providing YAML files that define key resources needed to run an app. "Default configurations that lack proper security controls create a severe security threat," warns the Microsoft researchers. In many cases, those Helm charts required no authentication, left exploitable ports open, and used weak or hardcoded passwords that were trivial to break.
This Cyber News was published on www.bleepingcomputer.com. Publication date: Mon, 05 May 2025 19:20:06 +0000